We’ve seen at least three changes in Marlin Firearm’s ownership over the decades, with the last coming when Remington Outdoor Co., which owned Marlin’s assets, filed for its second bankruptcy in July 2020. Shortly thereafter, Sturm, Ruger & Co. saw an opportunity and bought Marlin in November 2020, purchasing the Marlin name and all the tooling. The last of the Remington/Marlin-made rifles had a reputation for problems and poor accuracy. We wanted to see if Ruger properly addressed those issues, and if shooters who had been scared off by some of the reports from years ago needed to reconsider buying a redesigned Marlin.
One of the Marlin lines Ruger reintroduced is the Model 1894 Classic. We found a Ruger-made Marlin 1894 Classic in 44 Special/44 Remington Magnum Model No. 70401 for $1019 in late 2023. We also managed to obtain a sample of the just-released Smith & Wesson 1854 Lever Action Rifle, also in 44 Mag. This rifle is so new that we could only find the suggested list price of $1279, but store pricing was still unavailable. We saw one site listing them at just under $3100. Being an early adopter in the gun market can be painful.
All the initial shooting was done with the factory-installed sights. For the Marlin, that meant we were using a buckhorn-style rear sight. The Smith & Wesson 1854 ships with peep sights installed, so we were able to test using its great sights from the beginning. We wondered what the Marlin could do with an optic on top, so we also fired it with a Crimson Trace red dot, which was easy to install.
Also, to see how much Ruger had changed the Marlin 1894, we fired a 2008 version side by side with the Ruger-Marlin Classic tested here. Be sure to check out Gun Tests+ online for more on the Legacy 1894. Here’s how the two lever-action rifles performed at the range:
Smith & Wesson Model 1854 13812 44 Magnum
$1279
Gun Tests grade: A-
The S&W Model 1854 had the better factory trigger and sights, but proved to be a little more choosey about what ammo it liked. It’s an updated version of a tried-and-true lever-action rifle.
Action Type | Lever |
Overall Length | 36.0 in. |
Barrel Length, Twist | 19.25 in., 1:20 in. |
Overall Height w/o Scope Mount | 6.5 in. |
Weight Unloaded | 6.78 lbs. |
Weight Loaded | 7.44 lbs. |
Sight Radius | 20.25 in. |
Action Finish | Brushed stainless steel |
Barrel Finish | Brushed stainless steel |
Magazine Capacity | 9 (44 mag), 10 (44 Sp.) |
Magazine Type | Removable tube |
Stock | Black synthetic |
Stock Drop at Comb | 0.5 in. |
Stock Drop at Heel | 0.8 in. |
Stock Buttplate | Rubber |
Stock Length of Pull | 13.38 in. |
Fore End Bedding | NA |
Receiver Scope-Base Pattern | Marlin 1894 |
Trigger Pull Weight | 2.9 lbs. |
Safety | Hammer and crossbolt |
Warranty | Limited, original owner |
Telephone | (800) 331-0852 |
Website | Smith-Wesson.com |
Made In | U.S. |
One of the surprise introductions of the 2024 model year were the lever-action rifles that seemed to turn up everywhere. Bond Arms, Stag Arms, and Rossi all debuted new lever-action models. And then there was Smith & Wesson with the new 1854 lever-action 44 Magnum. That’s right. Not a revolver. Not a semi-auto M&P. A lever action, and a very modern one to boot. S&W decided to offer two models. The first was a limited edition with blued steel and extra-fancy wood. Suggested list is about $3500. We didn’t test that one. We grabbed the stainless-steel version and ran with it.
Our first impressions were that of a lever gun that a survivalist would like while not scaring off a traditionalist. Have you seen John Wick 4 yet? This latest installment involved slick gun handling and fancy guns, of course, but one of the semi-good guys used a tricked-out lever action that looks a lot like the Dark Model Marlin just brought out. It was all black with sight upgrades and a Pic rail. It worked great, at least in the movie, but it certainly didn’t have the look we are accustomed to in our lever actions. That said, the upgrades were cool and functional. This new rifle looks like Smith & Wesson decided to create a rifle with many of the features of the John Wick gun without destroying all of the traditional lines.
With an overall look reminiscent of a Marlin Model 1895, the list of differences is substantial. The receiver is made of 416 stainless steel, nicely contrasted by the matte-black lever, bolt, trigger, hammer, and pins. The barrel is 19.25 inches in length versus 20.25 inches for our 1894 Marlin. That cuts the under-barrel tubular magazine capacity by a round but made the rifle shorter and quicker to handle. The barrel is threaded 11⁄16-24, making it ready for a muzzle brake or a suppressor. A thread protector is provided. Then we noticed the magazine tube. Loaded through a side gate as we would expect, it also had a twist knob near the muzzle that would allow us to unload the piece without running all the rounds through the chamber. But, instead of opening a port through which loaded rounds could be dropped, the entire tube (not just a sleeve) is removed and easily emptied.
We’ve mentioned our efforts to make lever-action sights easier for mature eyes to use and documented our changes. The S&W Model 1854 arrived sporting an XS Sights rear aperture, with a size that made it more of a ghost-ring sight than a true peep. Set screws are used to move the rear sight for windage adjustments. The aperture can be rotated in and out to adjust elevation. The front sight was mounted securely near the muzzle and used a tall blade faced with a brass bead. The result was very visible in the light. With the peep sights being mounted on a Picatinny rail, another easy option is to dismount the peep and put on a red dot or low-power variable optic on the provided rail.
There’s more. While we are not fans of huge loop levers, we do like a little bit of extra room for large hands. The Model 1854 comes with an oversize lever that was just right — not too large, not too small. Then we noticed the trigger. We have long been fans of flat triggers for precision rifles and the way they aid consistent placement of the finger on the trigger. The Model 1854 gave us a flat trigger, and we liked the feel. Required compression was only 2.9 pounds with more felt creep than the Marlin, but with less overtravel.
The stock bears the outlines of a classic pistol-gripped lever action but shows a few twists of its own. Made of a black synthetic material, the fore end and the pistol grip wear a texture that reminds us very much of an S&W M&P pistol. Adhesion is good but not overly aggressive. The fore end is capped with a band that looks more like an early Marlin than the new Ruger version. No sling swivel is present, but the forward barrel band is drilled for one. There are no slotted screws in the stock nor in the rest of the rifle as far as we could see. Everything is held in place by pins and Torx screws. The fore end did show slots near the muzzle end with attachments at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock for M-Lok accessories.
Disassembly was something of a cross between that of an 1894 Marlin and a 1895 Model. Check to make sure the rifle is unloaded, then use a T15 Torx bit to remove the operating-lever pivot screw. Pull the operating lever down and out, hold the hammer spur down, and remove the bolt to the rear. As with the Model 94, the ejector can then be lifted out by hand. Reassemble in reverse order. Check the manual where step-by-step instructions can be found.
The barrel was noticeably thicker than that on the Marlin, and it changed the balance of the piece, making it more muzzle heavy. That extra weight also made a difference in felt recoil, giving a slight advantage, we thought, to the S&W. The XS sights worked well, allowing us to generate a 2.07-inch average across three loads. These were the best numbers using the factory sights as the rifles came to us. Once we changed to a red-dot sight, the Marlin had an advantage. The S&W favored the Black Hills ammo, making it the most accurate of the three loads tested. The Model 1854 did not like the Doubletap loads much and exhibited sticky extraction on most of the shots fired with that ammo. Of course, we trigger snobs liked the sub-3-pound flat-faced trigger.
Our Team Said: For those who want the traditional look and feel of these lever actions, you might want to stay with the Marlin 1894 Classic. Still, we dinged the Marlin part of a grade for its lack of modern sights and a threaded muzzle, both of which are standard issue on the Smith. If you want the latest accoutrements without going full John Wick, we suggest you take a long look at the Smith & Wesson Model 1854. If you do want to go John Wick all the way with a lever gun, boy, does Marlin have a new model for you — but that will have to be the subject of a later review.
44 MAGNUM RANGE DATA | ||
Hornady Handgun Hunter 200-grain Monoflex | Marlin 1894 Classic | S&W Model 1854 |
Average Velocity | 1622 fps | 1680 fps |
Muzzle Energy | 1169 ft.-lbs. | 1253 ft.-lbs. |
Best Group | 1.77 in. | 1.91 in. |
Average Group | 2.4 in. | 2.29 in. |
Black Hills 240-grain JHP | Marlin 1894 Classic | S&W Model 1854 |
Average Velocity | 1655 fps | 1676 fps |
Muzzle Energy | 1460 ft.-lbs. | 1496 ft.-lbs. |
Best Group | 1.37 in. | 1.53 in. |
Average Group | 2.05 in. | 1.55 in. |
Doubletap Ammunition 320-grain Hard Cast | Marlin 1894 Classic | S&W Model 1854 |
Average Velocity | 1626 fps | 1663 fps |
Muzzle Energy | 1879 ft.-lbs. | 1964 ft.-lbs. |
Best Group | 1.58 in. | 1.98 in. |
Average Group | 2.24 in. | 2.36 in. |
We conducted our tests at American Shooting Centers in Houston. At 50 yards, we fired multiple three-shot groups for accuracy from a well-sandbagged Caldwell TackDriver Pro rest (Brownells 100-027-023, $49), further supported by a large rear bag, heavy from Tab Gear (TabGear.com, $34). Our 44 Remington Magnum loads covered the weight and power spectrum with Hornady Handgun Hunter 200-grain Monoflex all-copper rounds, Black Hills Factory New 240-grain JHPs, and Doubletap 320-grain Hardcast Solid lead cartridges. We did function testing with a surplus of 44 Magnum reloads we had on hand.
Written and photographed by Joe Woolley, using evaluations from Gun Tests Team members. GT